This year’s competition juror was contemporary South Carolina artist Hollis Brown Thornton, of Aiken. The “Pee Dee Regional” has been presented annually since 1954 and is one of the longest-running competitive art exhibitions in the state.

Attendees at the reception were welcomed by Jumana Swindler, chair of the Florence County Museum Board, followed by remarks from Blake Pate, representing corporate sponsor Chick-fil-A, who announced the winning selections, congratulating the artists with a presentation of the cash awards.

The $1000 First Place cash prize was awarded to competition newcomer Kevin Spaulding, for his oil painting, “Hearth”. The painting is one of two works by Spaulding in the exhibit. Spaulding, who recently relocated to Florence County, has been an accomplished artist for over 20 years. He received a degree in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University before living and working in New York.

Kevin Spaulding standing by his work “Hearth”.

“Spaulding’s entries are rich, darkly-toned, and technically proficient,” said museum curator Stephen W. Motte. “His subject matter is rendered within a natural environment, but avoids being landscape painting, it appears isolated in place and time, like classical still life. The two works in the competition are photo-realistic in detail, yet minimal in composition. The result is something both traditional and contemporary. I look forward to seeing more from this artist in the future.”

A Second Place award of $600 was given to Haley Ard, also of Florence County, for her large mixed media work, “The Kitchen Sink”. Although perhaps the youngest artist in the exhibition, Ard is no stranger to high-profile competitions, and is currently exhibiting work in Spartanburg, SC.

In 2017, she received due attention for her assemblage-portrait “Made-Up”, composed of cosmetics and accessories. The work, exhibited at ArtFields in Lake City, was intended to raise questions about the purpose of wearing makeup, and whether it is used to enhance beauty, or cover to it up.

“Like ‘Made-Up’, Ard’s collage ‘The Kitchen Sink’ is an excellent example of the relationship between media and message,” Motte said. “This is one of the most difficult lines to walk for a lot of artists, and Ard is showing a lot of maturity in her handling of concept with craftsmanship.”

Third Place ($250) went to Treelee MacAnn, a veteran printmaker, for her serigraph “Congaree Forest Ribbon”. MacAnn has received numerous honors in past Pee Dee Regional exhibitions for her works on paper, which often originate in photographic imagery before being reinterpreted in print.

The Honorable Mention ($100) this year went to Alexandra Knox, of Loris, SC, for her sculptural mixed media wall piece, “Five to Nine”. The work, created from wax casts of the artist’s hands held together with horse hair, is one of two by Knox in this year’s exhibition.

About Knox, competition juror Hollis Brown Thornton had this to say, “… stunning to see in person. Incredibly organic and visceral. It is difficult to add humanity and vulnerability to an object using technique and materials, and Knox’s ‘hands’ have done that beautifully.”

Thornton is a professional artist and native of Aiken, South Carolina. He received his BFA from the University of South Carolina and has been working professionally since 2000. His work has been exhibited in France, Germany and Japan, and has appeared in “Elle” magazine and “The New Yorker”.

Thornton became Gallery Director at Mongerson Gallery in Chicago in 2001 where he also worked for two years as an art preparator. Returning to South Carolina in August 2005, Thornton and his wife opened the clothing boutique Threads, in downtown Aiken.

Thornton’s recent large scale drawings often examine the malleable nature of memory in both personal experience and popular culture. His colorful compositions are carefully rendered with photo-realistic effect, at times using only permanent marker, a medium which alludes to the concepts at play beyond the artworks’ surfaces.

When asked about his approach to making art, he says, “Everything I do works with the balance between precision and the inherent limitations of making something by hand.”

Thornton’s recent works will be the subject of a solo exhibition at the Florence County Museum Waters Gallery in the fall of 2018.

As in previous years, the “2018 Pee Dee Regional” was opened to submissions of contemporary art created within the last two years by all artists within the state’s northeastern Pee Dee region.

The exhibition is comprised of 30 works selected from nearly 200 submissions in multiple media. “We have seen a notable increase in entries this year, a lot of which are coming from artists new to this competition,” Motte commented.

“I hope that, with this annual competition, the Florence County Museum can continue to engage with contemporary artists, and encourage the creative intelligence in the state. Artists should know that they are a part of something outside the studio… that the physical works they create are assets that give intangible value to the world around them.”

The reception was organized and catered with refreshments prepared by museum volunteers. Flower arrangements were provided by Consider the Lillies, of Florence.

The exhibit is now open to the public and will remain on display through March 30, 2018 in the FCM Waters Gallery, 135 South Dargan St. Visitors are invited to join the awards selection by casting their ballots for the Jo Ann Fender Scarborough People’s Choice Award. Voting for the People’s Choice Award is open through Friday, March 23. The winner will be announced Monday, March 26.

The exhibit can be viewed at the Florence County Museum Waters Gallery, Monday – Friday: 10am – 5pm, now through March 30, 2018.

For more information about the “Pee Dee Regional Art Competition” and other upcoming exhibits and events, please contact the Florence County Museum at 843/676-1200 or visit the website at (www.flocomuseum.org).

The Oconee County Arts & Historical Commission announces Martha File as the recipient of the 2017 Arts and Historical Ambassador Award. File is the inaugural winner of the Ambassador Award, created to recognize a volunteer with “Outstanding Contributions” in the fields of Art, History or Culture in Oconee County. The Ambassador Award honors achievements that extend beyond the expected and make a difference in our community.

Martha File, a founding member of the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail (UHQT), has worked diligently to educate and grow the efforts of South Carolina’s first quilt trail. Oconee County was the first County in South Carolina to embrace the quilt trail concept and there are now over 200 quilts on display across Oconee, Anderson and Pickens Counties. File has coordinated trail expansion, recruited numerous volunteers and as a result, the trail now has a studio in each of the three counties. In addition, she has worked with other counties across South Carolina and neighboring states to introduce and provide resources for additional quilt trails.

Mari Noorai, chairperson of the arts and historical commission says, “Martha’s service to the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail has promoted Oconee County and its heritage. Her dedication and unwavering initiative make Martha the 2017 Arts & Historical Ambassador. Many thanks to Martha and all our exemplary volunteers that help us to ‘Celebrate Oconee.'”

Phil Shirley, director of parks, recreation and tourism for Oconee County says, “I remember Martha’s very first pitch to me about the idea of a quilt trail in 2009. I never imagined it growing to over 200 quilts and spreading across the Upstate. File’s dedication and leadership bring a shining light to our community and we congratulate her on being named the 2017 Oconee County Arts and Historical Ambassador of the Year.”

File says, “On behalf of the all the volunteers of the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail we are honored to have been selected for this award. Helping preserve and promote the history of the Upstate through quilts and sharing the stories of those who made them is a very rewarding experience for us. We would like to thank the many people who have helped us on the journey and we look forward to the new adventures that await us.”

File will be recognized and presented an engraved plaque at the Spring Arts and Historical reception. In addition, a donation will be made in her honor to the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail.

For more information on the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail, visit (www.uhqt.org).

Mark your calendar for March 24-25, 2018, for Brevard College’s Fine Arts Department 8th annual celebration of the arts. This one-of-a-kind event provides an opportunity for the community to witness the transforming power of the arts. With each iteration, the event has become more meaningful with new experiences to be had. This year’s cohosts are BC’s very own Lynne Joyce and BC Board of Trustee member Art Fisher.

The experience will kick off Saturday evening, March 24, 2018, with a Gala event that serves as the Friends of Fine Arts (FOFA) Committee’s principal annual fund raising event. On Sunday, Brevard College welcomes the UNC School of the Arts (UNCSA) Symphony Orchestra to the Porter Center stage, along with conductor Christopher Lees and two of UNCSA’s concerto competition winners.

An Iron Pour at a previous Celebration.

All proceeds from the Fine Arts Gala go directly to the Fine Arts Division, benefitting students of Art, Music and Theater. The funds raised, including ticket sales, proceeds from the silent and live auctions and donations, are used to give students opportunities that would otherwise not be available. Fine Arts activities sponsored by FOFA include sending students to the National Association for Teachers of Singing and the Southeastern Theatre Conference, sponsoring museum trips, spearheading Spiers Art Gallery renovations, and hosting guest clinician performers.

“While fundraising is one of the objectives of the weekend festivities, the Gala is also an opportunity to celebrate our Fine Arts programs and to give attendees a real sense of what their support helps us accomplish,” said Kathryn Gresham, Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of the Music Major. “Ticket holders have a chance to view and purchase art, hear performances, and talk with students and faculty about their work together. They also enjoy terrific food, wine and live music!”

Watch for additional information in the upcoming weeks and save the date to join FOFA at the 2018 Arts for Life: a Weekend Celebration!

Brevard College is committed to an experiential liberal arts education that encourages personal growth and inspires artistic, intellectual, and social action. Learn more at (brevard.edu), “like” Brevard College on Facebook and follow @BrevardCollege on Twitter.

The Native American Studies Archive at USC Lancaster in Lancaster, SC, announces the launch of the Native American South Carolina Archive (NASCA), a comprehensive digital archive for tribal histories, photos, correspondence, oral histories, and more. A collaboration between the Archive, the USC University Libraries Digital Collections, and the USC Institute for Southern Studies, NASCA is funded by an ASPIRE grant from the USC Office of the Vice President for Research.

Launching Tuesday, Jan. 16, NASCA will provide resources for studying Native American culture and will highlight the important role Native South Carolinians have played in our state’s history and prehistory.

Edisto Assistant Chief Frank Pye and his granddaughter at a Chicora powwow in Horry County. Photo by Gene Crediford.

The site focuses on three eras in our state’s history: Prehistoric South Carolina, Reconstruction-era to late 19th Century South Carolina, and late 20th Century to early 21st Century South Carolina.

Including information from these eras, the site contains digitized letters dating back to 1759 from the SC Department of Archives and History’s Governor’s Correspondence File, several hours of transcribed interviews from various tribal leaders and elders, an interactive map highlighting Native and archaeological points of interest around the state, a timeline of events from the Ice Age 19,000 years ago to events of recent years, and around 167 color and black and white images from photographer and USC Professor Gene Crediford.

NASCA also features histories and banners of the state’s 14 recognized tribes and tribal groups, plus five original short films about Prehistoric South Carolina, with a sixth short video tour of the Native American Studies Center and its location in historic downtown Lancaster’s Cultural Arts District.

In this image by photographer Gene Crediford, an unidentified pair of hands holds a ball of clay.

“There has never been anything like this before in South Carolina,” said Brent Burgin, the Center’s Director of Archives. “We have over 40,000 people in South Carolina who have claimed Native descent since our last Census. Native Americans often have been called an invisible people in this state; it’s very much an underserved community.”

Dr. Matt Simmons, Digital US South Project Coordinator at USC’s Institute for Southern Studies, worked closely with Burgin on digitizing the Center’s Archives, vetting and hiring computer programmers and web designers, and helping faculty members produce digital projects. In addition to providing new resources, Simmons says he hopes the archive also will fill in the gaps of our state’s history and provide context about South Carolina’s Native population.

“More than anything, it’s creating a resource for the people of South Carolina, for K-12 students, but also for the public in general coming to an understanding of Native people: who they are, that they’re still here, and really come to an understanding to get past silly and wrong thinking that they all disappeared after the Yamasee War.”

To access the Native American South Carolina Archive, visit (www.nativesouthcarolina.org). For more information about the Native American Studies Center, call 803/313-7172.

Numerous works of art including: sculpture, printmaking, photography, drawing, painting and ceramics – made by faculty, current students and alumni of the USC School of Visual Art and Design, in Columbia, SC, as well as local artists will go to the highest bidders on Mar. 28, 2018, from 6pm until 9pm in the McMaster Gallery at the 63rd Annual USC Art Auction.

March 29th ………………………………….Pick up unsold work in room MM 229………………………………….9:00am–4:30pm

Entrants may submit a maximum of two works. All three labels must be attached individually to the back of the work. Entry forms will be available in the main office, outside office 221, and in room MM 229 during the submission dates. If picking up entry forms in person is not possible, please email Kara Gunter at (gunterkm@mailbox.sc.edu).

ELIGIBILITY

All students, faculty, and alumni from the USC School of Visual Art and Design and local artists are eligible and may submit up to TWO works. Painting, prints, and drawings must be dry, appropriately framed or matted with finished edges. Works will be juried prior to the auction. No works that require maintenance, are biodegradable, include loose soil/grit, and/or wider than 6’ or exceed 75 pounds will be accepted.

There will be no more than 60 total works included this year’s auction.

A portion of the works will be presented in the live auction and some will be reserved for silent auction bidding. The School of Visual Art and Design will retain 40% of the sale price. Proceeds from the auctioned works are divided between the artists and the USC Art Scholarship and Gallery Fund.

Work is due in Room MM 229 (1615 Senate Street, Columbia, SC 29208) by 4:30pm on Feb. 9th, 2018.

PLEASE PRINT – Maximum 2 entries. Fill out TWO forms (A, B, C) for each work and attach separately to back with tape. The gallery will handle all items for exhibition with extreme care during the loan period but cannot be responsible for works that are inordinately fragile or inherently subject to damage. Submission of any entry constitutes an agreement with all conditions set forth in the prospectus.

ART AUCTION EVENT

Preview of accepted works will be open for public viewing from 1-6pm on Mar. 28, 2018. The Preview Party will begin at 6pm and the live auction will start at 6:30pm. The works will be auctioned by both live and silent auction.

La Petite Gallerie, the intimate little art gallery on Calhoun Street, in Bluffton, SC, is celebrating its three year anniversary in February. There will be a party coinciding with the old town Bluffton Art Walk on Feb. 9, 2018, from 5 – 7pm. Enjoy bubbly prosecco, divine chocolate, and be a part of a grand art giveaway by the seven owner artists.

“We would like to thank our customers and our community for making our little gallery a grand success” says Murray Sease, one of the artists at La Petite Gallerie. “We will be giving away a piece of art each month for seven months, beginning with the original acrylic painting, ‘Hydrangeas,’ by Lauren Terrett. Simply sign up at the party on the 9th – or anytime during February – for the chance to win. The process will be repeated each month following with each of the remaining artists contributing a piece for this grand art giveaway. “This is a fun way to share our art and have a good time with friends” is the concensus of the artists involved including Don Nagel, Margaret Crawford, Bill Winn and Penny Beesley, along with Terrett and Sease.

Work by Lauren Terrett

Come celebrate with the artists and friends on Friday, Feb. 9 with wine and sweets, view Lauren’s beautiful ‘Hydrangeas,’ and sign up for the chance to win!

A retrospective of the late Manning Williams’ long artistic career is in the works at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC. Those involved want to make sure they have a chance to survey all his work, including the art owned by third parties. The goal is an extensive book of his work that would accompany the show.

If you have a Manning Williams or know someone who does and that person hasn’t yet been contacted by Manning’s widow, Barbara, Linda Fantuzzo, or his major collector, Leonard Long, please contact Carolina Arts at (info@carolinaarts.com) and the information will be passed along. We would like the collector’s contact info and if they can provide a photo (via e-mail) and we can decide whether it is suitable for either book and/or museum show – if the collector is willing.

The Associated Artists of Southport, NC, is accepting entries for its annual juried “Spring Regional Art Show”, which will take place from Feb. 26 through Mar. 17, 2018 Deadline for entry is Feb. 9, 2018.

Gina Strumpf, 2-D and Brian Evans, 3D will judge the actual work. All Work will be displayed at Franklin Square Gallery in Southport, NC.

One of the several events that the Robeson Roadrunners coordinate and promote at the Rumba on the Lumber is the Arts/Crafts/Business show on Saturday, Mar. 3, 2018, from 10am – 5pm. More than 75 arts, crafts, small business, home based business, and food vendors will fill the Downtown Plaza and West 3rd Street in Lumberton with their wares.

The Roadrunners are particularly interested in arts and crafts and home based businesses, e.g., Scentsy, It’s a Wrap, Paparazzi Jewelry, and others as well as small businesses and professional organizations. Many of the past vendors return year after year for the Saturday show.

The Wilmington Art Association (WAA) invites artists to submit work for its “36th Annual Juried Spring Show and Sale”. This show will be open Apr. 7-15, 2018 in Wilmington, NC, during the annual North Carolina Azalea Festival.

The WAA welcomes Janette K. Hopper as the Juror/Judge for the 2018 “WAA Annual Juried Spring Art Show and Sale”. Hopper is an active painter, printmaker and performance artist here in Wilmington. Last year’s art activities included a one-person show at the Wilma Daniels Gallery, an exhibit at Art in Bloom, her Japanese print inspired the mural at Nikki’s on Front St. and a performance with a New York dance troop, as part of Cucalorus. She received her Masters of Fine Art in Painting from the University of Oregon and has taught here in the United States, with her position as the Art Department Chair at UNC Pembroke, bringing her to North Carolina

Deadline for entries is Feb. 26, 2018 at 5pm. The show is open to all artists 18 years of age and older and will include original works in painting, pastel, drawing, printmaking, photography, digital imaging, fiber art, mixed media and three-dimensional work. Monetary and merchandise awards will be in excess of $4000.